Military wheelbarrow.



manner or as a shield or protection for the To all whom it may concern:

OFFICE.

ARTHUR C. WALWORTH, JR., OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

' MILITARY WHEELIBARROW.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

Application filed November 30,1914. Serial No. 874,579.

Be it known that I, ARTHUR C. WAL- woRTii, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Newton, county of MiddleseX, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Military \Vheelbarrows, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention has for its object the production of a new and improved form of wheelbarrow which is particularly adapted for military purposes.

My object is to produce a barrow which may be-used asa conveyer in the ordinary user against rifle bullets and the like.

l/Vhere it is found necessary to entrench under fire, it is particularly desirable to provide a protection 'for the entrencher when he is starting to excavate and my device is so constructed that it may be readily invertedinto a protecting shield behind which the soldier may be protected from rifle fire while. entrenching. My improved wheelbarrow also serves to protect the man while advancing. The device embodying my invention thus performs the double purpose of acting as a conveyer and also as a means of protection.

My invention will be fully understood from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the novel features thereof will be pointed out and clearly defined in the claims at the'close of the specification.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation showing a device embodying my invention in a position for use as a conveyer. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the tray in protecting position. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of my device in the position shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a top plan view of the same in the position shown in Fig. 1-.

Having reference to the drawings and particularly to Fig. 1 there is shown a wheelbarrow having a conveyer or tray 11 mounted on asuitable frame 12 which is in turn carried on a wheel 13 in the usual manner. The tray, frame and wheel preferably' consist of metal or like material such as is best adapted to withstand bullets so that the device may not be disabled by rifle fire or the user injured by. splinters.

The rear end of the frame is provided with handles 14 whichare integral therewith as shown, the front end 15 being carried around the wheel 13 in the well known manner to serve as a protection to the wheel.

The tray 11, the sides of which preferably consist of sheet iron, is provided with a bullet proof bottom 16 which consists of a sheet of metal sufiiciently thick and of proper na ture so that the ordinary rifle or machine gun bullet will not penetrate it. On the sides of the tray 11 are trunnions 17 resting 1n. brackets 18 which are secured to the frame 12 and also to legs 19 arranged to support the rear end of the barrow. As will be seen in Fig. 4, the frame 12 is slightly wider than the tray 11 so that the tray may be swung on the trunnions 17 into the posi tion shown in Fig. 2. The tray is arranged so that the majority of the weight of a load in the barrow is on the wheel which arrangement I have found to be best adapted for carrying purposes. placed so that the load in front of them is greater than that in back. The load thus rests securely on the portions 151 of the frame which prevents the tray from rotating voluntarily on the trunnions 17. NVhen the tray is placed in protecting position as shown in Fig. 2, the greater weight at the forward end is thrown to the rear of the trunnions 17 thus retaining it firmly in this position, the portion 151 of the frame acting as a stop against which the armor platewhich forms the bottom of the tray rests.

When the tray is placed in protecting position, the plate 16 is at an angle to the ground, and serves to stop the bullets and also to form an inclined surface against which earth or other like material may be piled to serve as a further protection. I provide supporting members 20, which are preferably hook shaped in cross section as shown in order that this surface may be more easily covered with a few shovel-fuls of earth or sand. This arrangement increases the protective value of the shield since when covered with earth it will stop a bullet of greater penetrating power, and also prevents the dangerous ricocheting or spattering ofthe bullet which results if the plate is bare. These members are arranged across the bottom of the tray as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the lower member being divided to provide for the rim of the wheel 13 and the upper member 21 extending only The trunnions are the tray in the conveying and protecting positions respectively.

My device is also adapted to be used as a protection behind which the soldier may advance under fire. F or this purpose I provide the legs 19 with suitable wheels 25 which are also preferably of metal. A combined brace and rest 26 is secured to the handles which consists of a single strip of metal. This is so shaped that it forms a rest to support the body of the user, who lies down with his chest upon the rest 26, and advances pushing the barrow ahead of him with his shoulders engaging the sides 31 of the rest 26. The rest 26 is provided with a horizontal portion 27 adapted to support the chest and depending side portions 31 each of which are shaped to conform to the shoulders of the user. By this construction, the user may rest on the horizontal portion 27 and push the barrow ahead of him firing through the-loop hole 22 as he advances if desired, being fully protected by the inverted tray. It will be noted in this connection that the bottom 16 of the tray when in protecting position extends from a point above the handles 14 to a point slightly above the ground. The bottom thus covers up the soldier in the position de scribed while at the same time it does not contact with the ground to impede a move ment of the barrow. While stationary the small space between the bottom and the ground may be readily filled up with earth or the like.

I regard my invention as important for heretofore so far as known to me there has been no adequate means of protecting a sol-,

dier while advancing slowly under fire and to enable him to begin entrenchment safely. The novel device herein described comprises a barrow which is of the most improved and effective type as a hand conveyer so that it may be utilized for conveying purposes when the soldiers are not under fire and tray, I do not limit myself to this construction since it is obvious that the tray may be fixed and the tray placed in protecting position by inverting the entirewheelbarrow.

What I claim is:

1. A military barrow comprising a frame, and a tray mounted on said frame having a bullet resisting bottom and upwardly inclined sides and ends whereby it is adapted for soil carrying purposes, said tray being movably mounted to adapt it to be placed in carrying position and in protecting position.

2. A military barrow comprising a frame, a tray mounted on said frame and having an imperforate bullet resisting bottom and inclined sides and ends whereby it is adapted for soil carrying purposes, saidtray being movably mounted to adapt it to be placed in carrying position and in protecting position.

3. A military barrow comprising a frame having a supporting wheel at one end and a handle at the other end, and a reversible tray having a bullet resisting bottom located on said frame behind said supporting wheel, said tray being capable of being placed in carrying position and in protecting position.

4. A military barrow comprising a frame, a wheel for supporting said frame at one end and a plurality of members having wheels for supporting said frame at the other end, and a reversible tray having a bullet resisting bottom mounted on said frame behind said first mentioned wheel, said tray being capable of being placed in carrying position and in protecting position.

5. A military barrow comprising a frame having inwardly extending portions at one end between which a supporting wheel is mounted, a tray having a bullet resisting bottom movably mounted on said frame and adapted to be placed in carrying position and in protecting position, said tray being arranged to rest on the inwardly projecting portlons of said frame when in carrying position.

6. A military barrow comprising a frame having an inwardly projecting portion thereon and a supporting wheel at one end thereof, a tray pivotally mounted on said frame and adapted to be placed in carrying posltlon and in protecting position, said tray being adapted to contact with said in-' wardly projecting portion when in carrying position and when in protecting position.

7. A military barrow comprising a frame, a wheel, a tray having a bullet-proof bottom and a chest rest supported by said frame.

8. A military barrow comprising a frame,

a wheel, a tray and a chest rest having two substantially vertical portions on the sides thereof adapted to contact with the shoulders of the user.

9. A military barrow comprising a tray having a bullet-proof bottom, said tray be ing arranged to be placed in a protecting position, and said bottom of said tray being provided With a loophole through which the user may fire.

10. A military barrow comprising a tray having a bullet-proof bottom, said tray being arranged to be placed in a protecting position, and said bottom of said tray being provided With a loophole through Which the user may fire, and a cover for said loophole.

11. A military barrow comprising a tray having a bullet-proof bottom arranged to be placed in protecting position, and horizontal earth supports secured to said bottom whereby When in protecting position a layer of earth may be applied to the bottom of the barrow.

12. A military barrow comprising a tray, a bullet-proof bottom on said tray, said bottom being arranged to be placed in protect? ing position, a series of grooved metal members secured to the bottom of the said tray and affording a support for earth.

In testimony whereof I aflixmy signature, in presence of tWo Witnesses.

ARTHUR G. WALWORTH, JR.

-Witnesses:

GEORGE P. DIKE, ALICE H. MORRISON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

- Washington, D. G. 

